Nano Characterization of Materials

Material and device characterization is challenged by continuously decreasing device dimensions placing significant demands on characterization instruments and measurement interpretation. The trend in many techniques is clearly toward characterization of smaller dimensions. Among the myriad of characterization techniques in use today, I discuss recent advances in probe microscopy, interferometric microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron holography and tomography, nano secondary ion mass spectrometry, atom probe ion field ion microscopy and X-ray tomography. All of these have made significant advances and have produced very impressive results. For example, TEM is now able to generate images with 0.05 nm lateral resolution, allowing display of individual atoms. Probes in conjunction with magnetic fields have demonstrated vertical resolution of 0.0015 nm. Progress in developing further advances in nm dimensional characterization will, no doubt, continue to satisfy the demand for such measurements.